Up on the roof
BIPV: Efforts by countries such as Italy and France to support solar PV systems designed for installation by construction and roofing specialists are paving the way for a new generation of PV systems.
Femtosecond pulses
Lasers in crystalline silicon cell production: Laser technology has been widely used by manufacturers of thin film solar cells. This was not the case in the manufacture of crystalline silicon cells. Efficiency gains must significantly outweigh the investment costs incurred in order for the technology to be considered. But its also about a cleaner and safer production environment.
A question of survival
Thin film industry ranking: The surrounding market is difficult enough on its own, but the falling price of crystalline modules is putting many thin film producers under additional pressure. Due to the efficiency level of some of the technology used, they should actually be selling their products at more favorable prices. With this, however, countless companies are overburdened and, as such, face questions about their very reason for existence.
A sunny autumn?
Dear readers, Should we hope for a golden Indian summer? In Germany sunshine was definitely a commodity in short supply this summer. And the development of the photovoltaics market was not so rosy either this year. A global financial crisis, reductions in subsidies, sluggish demand, collapses on the stock markets as well as sharply lower […]
A thin film frontier
Japan: Previously having only a relatively minor slice of the thin film PV market, Solar Frontier has not been making too many waves. But from their coastal city Miyazaki in southern Japan, the company is raising new facilities with the potential to make a major splash.
All bets are off
Global market forecast: The first half of 2011 has been less than stellar for photovoltaics. However, there are indicators that demand will be stronger in the second half of the year. All bets are off though, writes Raj Prabhu, Managing Partner at Mercom Capital Group, if the European debt crisis cannot be contained, or if the U.S. falls back into recession.
Ammonium hydroxide attacks panels
Module test: Aggressive ammonium hydroxide develops in livestock barns, which may lead to corrosion on solar panels. Various institutions in Germany, among them the German Agricultural Society DLG and TÜV Rheinland, have reacted and now offer an ammonia test for panels. TÜV Rheinland recently commissioned an accessible test chamber and now awards an official quality seal, but DLG has doubts about the practicability of the test.
Carbon dioxide to solar home systems
Carbon finance: Solar home systems have come within the reach of a great number of rural households without access to grid electricity. Can the carbon credit scheme based on the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol help finance PV in the developing world? An analysis by Simon Rolland of the Alliance for Rural Electrification.
China introduces FIT
China: The announcement on August 1 that China would put in place a feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme made the PV industry sit up and take notice. But what impacts will the FIT decision have on the worldwide PV market and which firms stand to gain the most? pv magazine speaks to market analysts and industry insiders to find out.
Educating customers and learning from them
Backsheets: Michele Vannini from Coveme focuses on PV backsheet manufacturing and uses the company as a case study to examine testing methods, advances in materials, and the relationship between backsheet manufacturers and their customers. Moreover, he highlights the importance of educating customers about specific testing methods and the shortcomings of each, with a focus on maintaining and improving standards and avoiding cutting corners.
